Friday, 08 July 2011
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Watching Your Proposal Makes Me Dream of My Own
I have seen two proposals happen in person.
The first one was in a pretty popular location. It was sometime during high school. I was in New York City, walking out of Radio City Music Center after watching The Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular for the third time. It was less than a week before Christmas and the city was getting its first dusting of snow for that winter. I always make it a point to go see the huge Christmas tree in Rockafeller Center and take a picture in front of it every year for my scrapbooks.
I was with my mom. She was taking a picture of me in front of the tree when I saw her gaze affixed on something that was not me or the camera.
"Look over there!"
She pointed to the left, behind me, and I saw a guy on one knee in front of his soon-to-be fiancée (I looked up the correct usage by the way--fiancé is the man you plan to marry; fiancée is the woman you plan to marry!). She was already crying, knowing what he was about to say and do. I don't know if he fumbled around for the ring in his jacket for a dramatic effect, to be a tease, or to make sure there time for a crowd to gather around them, but he spent quite some time digging through all his winter jacket pockets for the ring.
My mom dragged me over and pushed me to the front of the crowd, right across from them. The woman was wiping her tears away on her glove, red from crying and coldness. The man pulled her arm down so he could unglove her hand (how scandalous in the wintertime!) and hold the box in front of her, opening it dramatically. I was close enough to see gems embedded in that little slit in a black jewelry box.
I couldn't hear him pop the question, but she nodded her head in affirmation, bawling her eyes out, "I do, I do, I do." She jumped up to hug him and her swung her around in the air, finishing the landing off with a long kiss.
The crowd cheered and clapped as loudly as possible with gloved hands. Couples had gotten even closer together and held each other by the waist; parents were kneeling down in front of their children explaining to them what just happened. I heard sighs of "good for her" as if they had been waiting for a proposal for a long time and I saw my sentimental mother tearing up. The Rockafeller Center photographer stopped taking pictures and dragged his camera to where the just-engaged couple was standing.
The second proposal I saw was so unexpected.
My university holds a student-organized 32-hour long Dance Marathon, for which we raise money for children with cancer and blood disorders the entire academic year. That is to say, it is an entire year of planning and if you're working with the Marathon, you get really close to the people on your team.
You aren't actually dancing for those 32 hours--it's just a pledge that you'll stay on your feet for that long, no sleeping, sitting, or giving up on yourself the entire time. It's a symbolic gesture for the kids who just can't stand on their own and can't even do crafts by themselves because their diseases have eaten away at them so early. It's an extremely emotional event and the kids are actually at the Marathon with us (keep reading--relevant soon).
The last hour was the hardest hour for all of us to get through. I was in so much pain, totally tired of being around so many unshowered bodies, and so much glitter and glue from being the Arts and Crafts Captain that I just felt like either crying or collapsing at that point. The Central Planning Team and Board of Directors made their way on stage to introduce themselves and we got ready for them to announce the total amount of money we had raised For The Kids (FTK all the way, shout out to the other universities who do them too!).
As they were announcing the Board of Directors by name, one of them was met by her then-boyfriend who asked her to join him in the middle of the stage. The projector screen in the gym changed to "_____, you are my only song!" with a picture of them. There was a collective "AWWWWWWWWW" from all of us standing in the gym. She turned around to look at the screen and was so surprised when she looked back to see him on one knee, all of us cheering in our delirium for them. She said yes, hugged him, and the gym went crazy with applause and screaming as people rushed towards her to congratulate her as she walked off the stage. I believe they met while working with Dance Marathon and it was a cause that meant a lot to them and bonded them together for so many months of the year that there wasn't a more perfect time to propose than at the actual Marathon.
Seeing both of these proposals sent me into dream mode, thinking about how my proposal would go. I would love to have a random, public proposal when and where I least expected it.
(Anyone there for this one?!)Have you ever seen a proposal happen? What was your proposal like--public in front of hundreds of people/low-key/private? If you weren't already engaged/married, did it make you fantasize about your future proposal?
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About the Author
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- From: dangelb
- About Me: My name means "daybreak" and I'm usually awake to watch the sunrise every morning. I'm a college student, obsessive tea drinker, and contemporary dancer. My first love was the piano before I learned how to love people. I love my R.O.B.--Really Outstanding Boyfriend--who gets just as excited as I do over antique books, soft-baked cookies, and Sporcle.
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Comments (15)
I've never actually seen someone get proposed to right in front of my eyes...
And, I think I have dreamt about my own proposal, about.. once.
I never even thought about getting proposed to until my boyfriend was like "You should start thinking about what kind of engagement ring you want and let me know."
So I only think about it because it's specific to us. I think it's weird that some people think about their dream weddings when they don't have any idea of who they want to marry. It's kind of creepy to me actually.When I was at Disney World in December 07 I saw a proposal by some fountain I think... I don't remember where or which park exactly, though. But it was cute. I didn't stare or gather though, it should be a more private moment IMO.
@thisiswhereItellyoueverything@xanga - I think it's creepy too. My best friend has like, colors and music picked out and such for her wedding, and hasn't ever had a boyfriend...
@thisiswhereItellyoueverything@xanga - @ForeverLove_xx@xanga - That does sound weird when you think about
it, especially if you haven't been deeply involved with a person for a
while. It should be specific to each relationship. I haven't gotten that
bad yet ;)
That picture is hilarious
I think about what my boyfriend might be planning for a proposal all the time. But, that's only because I know he's going to propose, I don't know when or how, but we've talked about it a lot. Can't wait!
I always wonder how my boyfriend is going to propose because he's told me before that he's going to. I never thought about it really before then though. I imagine he's going to make it really public and embarrassing for me though just to tease.
I've seen one happen in Vegas. I was at LOVE (Beatles Cirque du Soleil) with my boyfriend, and across the stage was this guy and girl, and I saw him on one knee. I saw her crying, and suddenly both of them had the spotlight trained on them, and several of the wandering cast members had walked over to give him encouragement. She said yes, and I awwed with the rest of the theatre. I give my boyfriend hints of how he should propose (under fireworks, New Year's Eve, while we're traveling). But he tells me that he'll propose in good time, and that he's been planning the perfect proposal for "the one" since the sixth grade. He's also told me it'll be private, and no fanfare. He wants it to be a surprise, and has said that he will tease me so that I'll never know which is the real proposal. He was even really close to buying a ring this year, but his friend convinced him to go back to school (which is much better I feel). So I really don't fantasize about how I want it to go. Because that's really up to him, and I know I'd say yes.
public proposals and cute, but only if theyre implemented right. They cant be tacky (baseball game) or too public (TV) where you feel like you can't say no. Also, a tip for other guys, if you're going to propose in public, make sure its a yes.
this reminds me of that episode in the Gilmore Girls, where they had to dance non-stop.
i haven't witnessed a proposal. my proposal was a private affair, no glitz or glam, pretty low key really, but thats how i wanted it, i stressed that to him. i dont really like being the center of attention lol.
@gulynes - Or make sure you have no shame if she does say no!
that picture..!!! :'D
the facial expression of the guy holding the wedding ring paper = priceless
@wing_stock@xanga - I know! But did you ever think about that awkward hand holding the "ME?" sign... O_O
My proposal was actually a little less romantic than I pictured my dream proposal. It was on our one year anniversary and we had a romantic dinner at a Japanese steakhouse and then when he didn't propose there (I knew he had the ring), I became upset and wondered if he was having second thoughts. The night wore on and we were at his house watching television. I was laying on the couch and he walked over to me and got down on his knee and said, "Baby, I love you. Will you marry me?" Then, the water works started. I was practically sobbing, which surprised him because he wanted the element of surprise to be key and he knew that I knew he had the ring and that I was expecting it that night, so it shocked him at how emotional I was.
It wasn't my dream proposal, but it was simple and perfect and I wouldn't do a thing differently.